Memory Verse: “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
When Raymond Slupik was three years old, his father, the captain of a fishing ship, took him on his first fishing trip. As Raymond grew up he spent a good part of his summers on fishing boats.
Twenty years after that first trip, Raymond became captain of his own ship, The Searcher. He was delighted that now he could take his father on board as his guest.
On the evening of December 26, 1985, The Searcher was returning to the harbor after a day of fishing in Lake Michigan. Raymond and his father were on the bridge of the ship steering, and the four crew members were in the galley relaxing and staying warm since it was bitter cold outside. Small chunks of ice were floating on the lake. The twenty mile-per-hour wind churned the water, making huge waves which splashed over The Searcher, coating it with heavy ice. The Searcher looked more like an iceberg than a ship.
The crew were supposed to walk around the ship now and then to check on things. But on this particular day it was so cold they all stayed inside the galley where it was warm.
When The Searcher was still 17 miles away from Chicago, the ship began leaning to one side. This alarmed the crew, and they went out to find out what was happening. What they found terrified them!
The large door at the back of the ship, through which the nets were hauled, had blown open, and the waves which were breaking against the ship had washed through the open door, filling the hold with water and chunks of ice.
Raymond knew they were in serious trouble. On his radio he quickly called, “Mayday! Mayday!”
Raymond recognized the seriousness of the problem and immediately called for help. Have you done that yet? Have you realized that you are a sinner and that you cannot get rid of those sins yourself? The Bible tells us that “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23), and we know that not one sin can ever enter heaven. But the Lord Jesus died on the cross so that those sins could all be forgiven. Now He tells us, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13.
When Raymond sent out his call for help from The Searcher, the coast guard answered almost immediately.
“Come in, Mayday. Who are you and what is your problem?”
“This is Raymond Slupik of The Searcher. Our ship is leaning over badly to one side, and I don’t know how long we can stay afloat.”
“Do you have your life jackets on?”
“Yes.”
“How many men do you have on board?”
“Five... no, wait... there’s six,” Raymond answered, forgetting to count himself at first.
“Can you give me your exact location?”
Raymond checked the navigational computer and reported their exact location.
They were told that three helicopters would leave immediately to rescue them.
The water in the hold and the heavy coating of ice on the topside of the ship were making it lean over to one side. They didn’t know how much time they had before the ship would completely roll over. The lake was so cold and icy that they knew they must stay on board as long as possible.
Finally, the boat came dangerously close to rolling over. It was time to abandon ship! The coast guard radio operator heard the captain’s order: “Abandon ship! Hurry up, guys! We’re going under!”
Fifteen minutes later the helicopters arrived and hovered over the area. There was no sign of The Searcher, but they did see a flare in the water. One of the helicopters lowered a steel basket into the water and scooped up one of the crew. He was barely alive, and his hair and clothing froze to the basket as it was lifted out of the water and up into the helicopter. A second time, then a third time the basket was lowered and lifted a man to safety. They searched for the other three crew members, but they were never able to find them.
Raymond and his father, sadly, were two of those who were never found.
Just as a ship travels across a lake or ocean to a distant seaport, so we are all traveling across the sea of life. All of us would like to reach the port called heaven safely. But we cannot sail our ship safely alone. We need a Guide. Raymond had a navigational computer on his ship to help him steer. You and I can ask the Lord Jesus to be our Saviour, and He will guide us home safely. He will steer us around the dangerous rocks and shoals and bring us safely into port. “For I will surely deliver thee... because thou hast put thy trust in Me, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 39:18.
Raymond’s navigational computer couldn’t tell him that the door to the hold was open and water was rushing in. But once we ask the Lord Jesus to be the captain of our soul, we know we will reach the port of heaven safely, no matter what kind of storms we run into. “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.... He bringeth them unto their desired haven.” Psalms 107:29,30.
ML-06/22/1986